Let’s dive into the revised Gross Floor Area (GFA) definition provided by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in Singapore. This update impacts how floor areas are computed for various types of developments. Here are the key points from the document:
GFA Measurement:
All covered floor areas of a development and all uncovered areas used for commercial purposes (such as outdoor refreshment areas) will continue to be computed as GFA. However, there are some significant changes:
GFA will now be measured up to the middle of external walls, party walls, and other similar external building features (e.g., curtain walls, railings, parapet walls).
Where there are connecting external walls with varying thickness, a 50mm offset will be allowed to accommodate the change in wall thickness.
This aligns with the current industry practice for demarcating strata area.
All strata areas will be computed as GFA.
Private roof terraces and private enclosed spaces (even if uncovered) are already computed as GFA.
Under the revised definition, all uncovered areas that form part of the strata area of the development will be computed as GFA (e.g., car parks included as part of a strata unit or an accessory strata lot).
Ledges for equipment exclusive to a strata unit (such as air-conditioner ledges) that are included as strata area will also be computed as GFA.
Developers who propose to retain AC ledges as common property can continue to exclude them from GFA. GFA Exemption Areas:
AC ledges proposed to be retained as common property will now be exempted from GFA up to 2m in width, similar to reinforced concrete (RC) ledges.
Covered communal floor areas that fulfill URA’s GFA exemption criteria can continue to be exempted from GFA.
Developers must ensure that AC ledge designs meet BCA’s design for maintainability guidelines.
Some communal spaces within private strata lots (e.g., sky terraces in mixed-use developments) will continue to be considered for GFA exemption if they fulfill the criteria.
Certain areas are subject to minimum or maximum width criteria before GFA exemption can be considered (e.g., minimum 5m width for sky terraces, maximum 2m width roof eaves). Submission Requirements:
For development applications involving proposed strata-titled developments, Qualified Persons (QPs) are required to include the proposed strata boundaries as a separate layer within the CAD or BIM submission drawings for agencies’ reference.
In summary, these revisions aim to provide clarity and consistency in GFA computation, especially for strata-titled developments. Developers and professionals involved in the industry should take note of these changes to ensure compliance with URA guidelines. 🏢📏
Source ref: URA
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